The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Nemesia plant, botanically known as Nemesia caerula and referred to by the cultivar name Nempeach.
The new Nemesia is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in Auckland, New Zealand. The objective of the program is to create new compact Nemesia cultivars with bushy growth habit and unique flower colors.
The new Nemesia originated from a cross by the Inventor of a proprietary Nemesia caerula selection identified as code number 433/02 as the female, or seed, parent with a proprietary Nemesia caerula selection identified as code number 585/01 as the male, or pollen, parent. The cultivar Nempeach was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a flowering plant within the progeny of the stated cross in a controlled environment in Auckland, New Zealand in June, 1998.
Asexual reproduction of the new Nemesia by terminal cuttings taken in a controlled environment in Auckland, New Zealand since July, 1998, has shown that the unique features of this new Nemesia are stable and are reproduced true to type in successive generations.
The new Nemesia has not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environment such as temperature, daylength and light intensity, without, however, any variance in genotype.
The following characteristics have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be basic characteristics of xe2x80x98Nempeachxe2x80x99 and distinguish xe2x80x98Nempeachxe2x80x99 as a new and distinct cultivar:
1. Upright and compact plant habit.
2. Freely branching, bushy growth habit.
3. Small leaf size.
4. Unique pinkish lavender-colored flowers.
Plants of the new Nemesia differ primarily from plants of the parents, the proprietary selections of Nemesia caerula, and other known cultivars of Nemesia caerula in flower color.